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The differences between distribution analysts and planning analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a distribution analyst, becoming a planning analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a distribution analyst has an average salary of $70,299, which is higher than the $68,137 average annual salary of a planning analyst.
The top three skills for a distribution analyst include supply chain, logistics and data analysis. The most important skills for a planning analyst are project management, customer service, and data analysis.
| Distribution Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $70,299 | $68,137 |
| Hourly rate | $33.80 | $32.76 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 40,580 | 92,380 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A distribution analyst plays an essential part in the business decision-making process of suppliers. You will be supporting customer service initiatives and communicate pricing. Other duties include developing partnerships with several logistics providers, providing technical support to field personnel and dealership about logistics and ordering system, and overseeing all the logistics of purchases such as order verification and shipment monitoring. As a distribution analyst, it is also your responsibility to track real-time call flow and schedule adherence.
As a planning analyst, you will be responsible for designing and implementing a company's business and marketing strategies with the goal of driving profits and reducing costs. You will propose measures to enhance an organization's overall efficiency, and guide managers on ways to strengthen profit margins through risk awareness reduced costs, and increased revenues. Other duties include conducting risk analyses to identify areas of potential failure, maintaining the business continuity program, and handling internal and external corporate communications with the investment community and industry analysts.
Distribution analysts and planning analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Distribution Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Average salary | $70,299 | $68,137 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $113,000 | Between $49,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Teaneck, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a distribution analyst and a planning analyst in terms of educational background:
| Distribution Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between distribution analysts' and planning analysts' demographics:
| Distribution Analyst | Planning Analyst | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 53.4% Female, 46.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 11.1% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 12.6% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |